The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-07-16

young man was remanded by the
magistrate for a regular trial at the
next term of court.
There were few who believed
that he might be innocent. When
it became generally known that he
had been a suitOr for Eva Hey
mann's hand without the sanction
of her father, revenge was added to
the motive of murder. Ellen Gray's
word was believed. She was a
girl of violent passions, but her
veracity in this case was not ques-
toned. She acknowledged that she
loved Abner Tenney, hence her re-
luctance to testify, and after the
preliminary examination she said
she regretted having revealed the
secret. But it was out now, and
the young man lying in the county
Jail reiterated his innocence, but
still he refused to disclose his
whereabouts and occupation on
that night. There were several par
ties who had seen the accused near
the scene of the crime at that
late hour of the night. He did not
deny this, but persistently refused
to explain his presence there. His
father visited him, and begged him
to unburden himself; but he inva-
riably returned the same reply:
"Were l to tell you. you would
feel as badly as though l had COM
mitted the murder"
The young man was visited by
many acquaintances, to whom he
would not reveal his secret, and it at
last became more than half suspect
ed that he had accomplices, who had
concealed the money, not one dol
lar of which had as yet been found.
Ellen Gray had continued to
reaffirm her statement. She was
confident that she had heard Abner
Tenney, in tones that left no doubt
in her mind, address the murdered
man. AS the time for the trial APP
preached she lost her reluctance,
and truly declared that she knew
that the accused had committed
the crime. Her brother, not having
been at home on the night of the
murder, was not summoned as a
witness. 1t was known that he,
too, had visited the Heymann
homestead as a suitor of Eva's
hand, but Of late he had turned his
attention to another lady to whom
he was paying his dcvoirs.
The excitement consequent upon
the farmers death and Abner Ten
ney's arrest did not for a moment
abate during his sojourn in Jail.
To his best friend, John French, he
said:
"Spare me, John. You know
where / was that night. You know
what / was doing. If | escape this
time, will be a better man. The
murder of my honor would send
my father to the grave as quickly
as the shedding of my blood by the
law. Do not come forward and
try to save me by sacrificing my
honor"
"They will hang you if you
don't tell ALL" was the reply. "Let
us swear to tell the truth. I'll not
let Eva believe that you killed hel
father"
The last sentence drove Abnel
Tenney to the wall in his cell with
a groan. 1t seemed to unnerve him
"She will never believe it!' he
cried a moment afterwards. "Ir
her eyes / will ever remain guiltless
of her fathers murder, even though
they hang me for the crime"
The young mans. visitor left the
Jail, and joined the two men of his
age in the corridor of the Jail, after
having bidden adieu to the warden
of the prison, who was an interest
ed listener to the conversation.
The trial came at last, and the
accused pleaded "not guilty" in g
firm voice. -.
Ellen Gray repeated her testi
mony, damaging to the defense
and adhered to it through a rigor
Gus cross-questioning to which she
was subjected. She had heard the
cries after the blows. She was pos
tive of this.
The other evidence offered by
the state was merely circumstantial
The defense introduced the profes
sor, who explained the nature o
the wound and swore that the frs
blow had produced instant death
This produced sensation in court
1t staggered Ellen Gray's testimony
until that hour believed invulnera
BILE. The blows that now FOLLOWED
from the. defense were hard ant
telling ones.
MURDER WILL OUT.
No alibi was attempted. Th'
accused had forbidden such a plan
on the ground that it would revea
the secret that he was guarding 81
closely but the defense became ag
gressive. 1t proved that Hiram
Gray, Ellen's brother was not wher